A thermal cycler's well tray area requires a cover with a good seal, and a tight fit with even pressure across the top of the well tray. This eliminates any condensation build-up, and ensures the tray is securely pressed into the thermal block for both even and accurate thermal transfer during cycles. With many instruments, including the APPLIED BIOSYSTEMS' models VERITI™, 2720 and PROFLEX™, when the heated cover is open, the handle is further behind. So, when closing, the user may inadvertently grab the heated cover instead, and possibly burning themselves, or pinching their fingers when swinging the handle over when locking down. Moreover, the user can sometimes mistakenly think that the tray clamp is in place, even when its not, when the cover is in a closed position.
Previous designs have sought to solve this problem by incorporating a heated cover with a locking handle or latch to ensure the cover is securely closed, and a combination of a crank, spin wheel or knob, to put even pressure over the well tray without damaging it. These previous designs, however, have not provided mechanisms or features to allow the safe handling of the heated cover and ensure that the tray clamp is fully engaged when the cover is closed. The present teachings address the deficiencies of the previous designs.
It is to be understood that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, nor are the objects in the figures necessarily drawn to scale in relationship to one another. The figures are depictions that are intended to bring clarity and understanding to various embodiments of apparatuses, systems, and methods disclosed herein. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. Moreover, it should be appreciated that the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way.